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I'll Show You Mine: Erin

This is our second installment of some of the stories and photographs from I'll Show You Mine, a book by Wrenna Robertson and photographer Katie Huisman, and by all of the women featured in the book, collectively. To find out more about the book, Wrenna, and why we think this is such an important project, check out our interview with her here. Or, you can visit the website for the book to find out and more and get a copy for yourself so that you can see the whole of this amazing book.

As we mentioned in the last installment, if you would like to ask the person whose body and words are featured in each entry any questions or have a conversation with her, most of the subjects have agreed to make themselves available here in the comments for discussions with our readers. As mentioned in Wrenna's interview, so many people never get the opportunity to talk about genitals in an honest, open and safe way with others, so we encourage you to avail yourselves of the opportunity, and are so grateful to the women involved for making this kind of conversation available to Scarleteen readers.

We're also happy to talk with you as Scarleteen staff or volunteers if you like. Depending on your feelings about your own genitals or those of others, and your experience (or lack of it) in seeing vulvas so realistically before, reading narratives or seeing images like these may stir up feelings for you which are uncomfortable. We're glad to talk you through any discomfort if you like should that happen for you. We're also happy to answer any questions this series may bring up for you about sexual or reproductive anatomy, either here in comments, on our message boards, or through our text service.

As is always the case with any interactive content on the site, comments for this series will be moderated, and as we always ask of those who comment, please dedicate yourself to respectful and thoughtful conversation. Thanks!

Reminder: This post includes a set of unaltered, unretouched and detailed photographs of the vulva for the purposes of awareness and education, not for sexual or other entertainment. If you do not wish to view photos like this, or are in a location where you do not feel comfortable viewing them, you may not want to read or scroll to the bottom of this page. We have left substantial space in between the words and the images so you may read all of the author's narrative without also viewing the images if you prefer.

This post also includes a first-person narrative reflective of the author and their thoughts and feelings, which may or may not reflect the opinions or values of Scarleteen as an organization.

My name is Erin.

When you think of it, it's a bit silly. Nothing to get excited about, right? A couple flaps of skin, a bunch of nerve endings and hair, all covering some inner bits that resemble a water slide I went down once as a child. But I love it.

I think the vagina is powerful. It's a source of life, a source of pleasure, and even though I'd never admit it, my vagina makes me feel like a goddess. There is this smile that shows up on my lover's face when his fingers are disappearing inside me. I can't help but be blown away by the fact that in those moments, he is worshipping the most hidden part of me. That nothing else exists for him except me.

As strange as I am sure it makes me, I even adore my menses. It's this deep, dark red blood that reminds me I'm connected to something primal. How cool is that?

I did not always feel the vagina love. I grew up embarrassed and confused by my body and, by extension, my vagina. I was taught that I was somehow unclean and that my vagina was the dirtiest part of all. It was not until I was living away from my family that my feelings towards my body began to change. I began to realize how wonderful my vagina was. I did a great deal of thinking about myself and my body and how I interacted with the world, and I just kept on coming back to one thing.

"Why?"

"Why should I be ashamed of my body and my vagina especially? Why should I consider it and its fluids dirty?"

I spent a good deal of time meditating on the subject and I honestly could not come up with any answer at all, let alone a reasonable one.

the abouts:

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